Floor covering



Patented Oct. 1, 1929 sesam-:D

UNITED STATES PATENTQ'OFFICE RALPE Gr. JACKSON, OF WOODBURY, NEW JERSEYFLOOR COVER/ING Application filed May 26,

This invention relates to floor coverings and to a process lof makin-gthe same.

The floor covering provided by the present invention is of that generaltype known as smooth surface coverings, such as linoleum and felt basefioorcoverings having decorative paint coats, and the invention is animprovement over such materials known as bitumen impregnated felt basecoverings, linoleums, oil clothl and the like.

One purpose of the present invention is to1 provide a decorative floorcovering of the smooth surface type in which the decorative effects,patterns, and designs are applied directly to the material of the baseandI penetratethe base part or all the way through the thickness thereoffrom top to bottom. One

feature of the invention is that the covering possesses tensile strengthto a pronounced degree, and may be handled similarly to the usual-smoothsurface floor covering.

One advantageous feature of the product of this invention is theprovision in a single continuous ply or layer of floor .covering ofdecorative effects similar in appearance to those used in linoleums andfelt base goods, but having superior wearing quality due to the factthat the design extends into the' base. This latter quality is `incontrast to decorative effects which are merely painted l on the surfaceor printed with paint on the surface. The product possesses theappearance of linoleum and is susceptible to treatment to produce muchfiner and more delicate designs than is possible in the manufacture oflinoleum type goods. Unlike linoleum, the entire decorative portionpossesses strength and wearing qualities as a sheet and f does n otyrequire a supporting base of fabric,

such as the known burlap base used with linoleum. Another advantage inthe product resides in the fact that the covering has tensile strength,even greater than the bitinnen impregnated felt base covering, and incontrast to such latter, the present product has its decorative eHectsextending into the thickness instead'of being applied by paintiifg" orprinting and remaining on the surface, as is common in 'felt base goods.

Another feature ofthe invention resides in 1926. Serial No. 111,769.

the steps of the process, in accordance with which the covering isprepared. By the procedure specified, time is saved as compared to thetime required for preparing a linoleum or bitumen felt base covering.Tedious drying operations are substituted byl quickly conducted steps,and consequently drying apparatus and space is conserved. The number ofsteps is reduced to al minimum, and consists chiefiy of first,decorating the absorbent base, such as dry floor covering felt, andpreferably preventing the coloring material from spreading from the zoneundergoing decoration tothe next zone which latter may be given adifferent color at the same time or at some subsequent period oftreatment, secondly, drying the sheet thus decorated, thirdly,saturating the decorated sheet throughout with a transparent saturant,such as a cellulose ester solution, or the like; and fourthly, drying'the saturated base. lThe first phase of this treatment may beaccomplished in several ways, as for example, by first applying all ofone color of the design and definitely outlining the decorative figurethereof with either the same color of which the figure is to be made, orwith a different color, and then after one color has been appliedproceeding to apply all of another color belonging to the design andpermitting the other design colors to extend up to this outline whichhas already bcenfirst laidout. Another method of control can be invokedby using for the printing block or type means what are known as feltblocks as known in wall paper prmting and by which equipment the patternfigure is formed in a felt surface to .be carried by a printing machineand for each marginal edge of every color and figure of the deslgn thereis an outline or narrow Wall of rlgid brass embracing the felt blocks,so that when pressure is applied yon the floor covering by means of thefelt blocks carrying the color medium the brass outline wall compressesthe floor covering base or goods lto some extent, and the ink or -dye is.transferred from the felt blocks to the fioor covering recelvingsurface and penetrates into the floor covering and spreads laterallytothe line of the impression formed by the brass outlme'and there itstops within the confinesof the outlined figure. .Another method ofcontrolling the. application of the color or decorative medium may beeffected by using a solution of different consistency on blocks orfigures that join each other. Still another method may be followed byusing water color on one block and an oil color on another block, whichren orated with relatively fine' lines sults in printed colorsthematerials of-which do not mix.v

The above and additional advantages and details are described andclaimed in the following specification and claim and the structure isillustrated in the accompanying draw-ry ing, in which Figure 1 is a topplan view of a section of floor covering showing a portion which is dec-Figure 2 is an edge view of the floor covering shown in Figure 1illustrating the decorating lines extending downward through thematerial of the base;

Figure 3 is a view similar to thatshown in Figure 1 but showing amodification of the vso coloring scheme, displaying solid colorsarranged i n squares; l

Figure 4 is an edge view of the covering illustrated in Figure 3,showing an example wherein the colors extend into the body of but notcompletely through the base; and

Figure 5 is an enlarged view of a portion l of Figure 4.

cated in Figures 1 and 2, or it may be ap-;

plied in solid colors, as indicated by the Figures 3 and 4, in .whichthe parts 21 represent red and the parts 2b represent blue,-

thus simulating Va tile eect. This coloring effect may be worked out asdesired, as for instance, in alternate, squares of black. and

white. 3 indicates an outer transparent wear coat such as may beprovided by a coating of a solution of a cellulose ester. In lieu of thecellulose ester coating, any transparent coating of any other materialmay be added as desired, as for instance a transparent varnish. In lieuof the geometrical figures illustrated in the drawing, the decorationsmay be of any shape or, style. In fact, one of the advantages of thisinvention is the almost unlimited degree of variation with whichdecorating effects may be used. v It is fully as extensive in itslpossibilities as are wall paper decorations.

The material of the colors and decorative eects may extend completelythrough the thickness of the articleas indicated in Fig. 2, or it mayextend merely well down into the goods and' not quite through thethickness thereof, as represented in Figs. 4 and 5. The degree ofpenetration, impregnation, depends on the density and absorbability ofthe material of the base when in its original dry porous fibrouscondition. Penetration depends also on the thickness ofA the base and-on the pressure usedl when the dye is applied,

and also -on the amount of and the degree of fluidity of the dye. Thesefactors are within the knowledge of the operator and his control of theprocedure may be modified according to conditions. It suffices to emphaisize the result that a very considerable thickness ofl goods is coloredor decorated by a penetrating or dye type of color after which the coloris sealed in and the material made tough and wear resistant by thesaturating filler. Fig. 5 shows a very much enlarged view of a fibrousbase in which the color does` not extend completely through but in whichthe wearable depth is vastly greater than A* mere surface decoratedmaterial. The saturant filler preferably treats the whole base and notmerely the colored portion.

In preparing the floor covering of this invention, the untreated andsaturated sheet, such as paper felt, is decorated with the desireddesigns which are so applied with materials in such a state of fluiditythat the decorated medium permeates partially or entirely through thethickness ofthe sheet, impregnating the sheet within the zone to whichthat particular color or shade isl applied. Under some conditions, itmay be desirable at times to have the colors blend together, and haveone color laid partly over or exactly over another color. Reference hasbeen made hereinbefore to the use of suitable mechanism, not

illustrated, which may be used for compressing the sheet and thus tooutline the outer margins of the decorated portion, and under suchconditions the decorative medium willl not spread beyond the specifiedlimits of the zone to be decorated. Where solid colors are applied, alesser degree of care need be eXercised to prevent spreading of thecoloring material, and where the designs are delicate and the sheet isrelatively thick, then corresponding care must be used in applying thedecorative fluid.

The decorative fluid may be made up from paints having the necessaryfluidity, but preferably the medium is a dye which is capable 4ofcarrying the desired color through the thickness of the sheet withoutany tendency toward accumulating a filtrate or relatively denseaccumulation of pigment on one surface of the sheet.

- materialand capable of drying by evaporation as contrasted tooxidation. Such a saturant solution may .be made up from a Celluloseester, such as nitrocellulose or acetyl cellulose.

One satisfactory solution for the material of the saturant may be madeby using 20 parts by weight of dry-pyroXylin in a solventlmixturecomposed of parts by weight ofeither or both butyl alcohol or amylacetate plus 30 parts by weight of anhydrous denatured ethyl alcohol.Preferably a drying oil is added and resins and softeners may beincorporated as desired, as, for example, as softeners, tricresylphosphate or diethyl or dibutyl thalate.

In lieu of the cellulose ester, a vegetabe resin or gum may be made thebase of the saturant when incorporated with dibutyl thalate or the like.

Other proportions and other materials may be used without departingfrom'the scope of the present invention. It is important, however, thatthe material of the solvent of the saturant does not act to dissolve thecolor of the decorative effects before the saturant material dries andloses its liquid and solvent properties. Any tendency toward adissolving of the color'medium may be counteracted by eX- pediting thespeed of the saturating action.

In applying the saturant to the dyed material, no particular attentionis paid to the nature of` the dye, so long as there is a quick dryingaction. Various combinations of dyes and saturants have been foundsatisfactory. When either acid or basic water or oil soluble dyes areused, an oil varnish or a cellulose lacquer may be used. A varnishcomprising two parts oil and one part of resins or a lacquer comprisingequal parts of nitro-cellulose and castor oil thinned down with asolution comprising butyl acetate 5%, ethyl acetate 40% and ethylalcohol 55 may be used. Another satisfactory lacquer' is one comprisingequal parts of cellulose and castor oil thinned down with asolventcomprising ethyl alcohol 85%, ethyl acetate 9%, and toluol 6%.

At no time in this process is there required any long period of drying.The decorated base may be dried quickly and the base after saturationnaturally dries according to the volatility of the solvents used for thecellulose ester, gums or resins as contrasted tothe timerequired tooXidize su'ch materials as linseed oil. All of this drying action isrelatively speedy as compared to the drying of felt base goods of thebitumen variet which have been decorated with oil paint. fir dryingbitumen goods, it is not .feasible to use high tempera.`

tures for fear of causing the bitumen to bleed and thus to discolor theproduct, whereas no such trouble is encountered with the use of hightemperatures in drying the present product in any stage of itsmanufacture.

After the saturated sheet has been sufiiciently dried, it may be furthercoated, if desired, with an upper transparent coating or wear coat, asindicated at 3, but this coating formsno part of the 'present invention.It is important, however, because a transparentcoating of a celluloseester material will tend to adhere readily and thus unite with thesaturant of the sheet if the latter has been treated with acelluloseester in solution. A back surfacing of a suitable coating or paint maybe applied to the back or under side, as maybe desired.

The saturant material renders the floor covering relatively tough,flexible and waterproof as well as resistant to the action of soaps andother detergents. There is no porf tion of the product which will tendto soften and rot as does the supporting base of linoleum.

"The 4term color is used to describe the material of the decorationwhether it be ink dye or paint and regardless as to whether it be a true,color or white or black. It is an essential of the invention that thedecorative medium be such that its color extends l.uniformly throughoutthe depth which it penetrates inethe saturated sheet, and thus theinvention would not be satisfied by the use of a paint which acted todeposit a layer of pigment and did not send its color into the depth 'ofthe absorbent base. y No claim is made to the broad idea 'of saturatingfloor covering materials with a saturant such as transparent celluloseester saturating solutions, but it is new to decorate a fioor coveringsheet with a penetrating decorative medium whether in lines or in solidco1- ors, and thereafter to seal the colors and render the base toughand resistant to the wear accorded floor coverings by saturating with a4transparent medium capable of drying quickly by evaporation, asclaimed. The present invention provides an article adapted to liedirectly on the floor and the invention constitutes an improvement overthe floor covering describedand claimed in my copending application,Serial No. 46,189, iled July 25, 1925, in which a decorated sheet issupported on a base, and which decorated sheet is treated after much thesame Vprocess applied to the present sturdier single unitary article. Iv j A floor covering of the smooth surface Waterproof type comprising asheet of fibrous material having decorative coloring visible on at leastone face thereof and extending well down into the body of the sheet-andtinting thebers but not filling the voids between `the fibers, and aWaterproof transparent saturant filling'm vby evaporation ibres andaterial which has been dried filling the voids between the substantiallythroughout the thickness of the sheet and providing a smooth tough Wearsurfce.

mony whereof I iix my signature.

RALrH G. JACKSON.

